Intravenous mononuclear marrow cells reverse neuropathic pain from experimental mononeuropathy.

Background: Stem cells mediate neuroprotection in a variety of nervous system injury models. In this study, we evaluated a potential role for stem cells in pain therapies. Marrow mononuclear cells containing mixed stem cell populations were used because of wide experience with these cells in experimental and clinical transplantation.

A role for endothelin in neuropathic pain after chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of endothelin in neuropathic pain. Endothelins (ET) are a family (ET-1, ET-2, ET-3) of ubiquitously expressed peptides involved in control of vascular tone. Injected ET-1 causes intense pain via activation of ETA receptors, modulated by analgesic signals initiated by ETB receptor activation.

Conversion to oral controlled-release oxycodone from intravenous opioid analgesic in the postoperative setting.

Objective: This study assessed conversion factors utilized by physicians to transfer postoperative patients from intravenous opioids to oral controlled-release (CR) oxycodone and the subsequent analgesic effectiveness.

Design: This was a multicenter, open-label, usual-use study of 189 hospitalized postoperative patients receiving opioid (usually morphine) intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) for at least 12 to 24 hours post-procedure. Patients who were tolerant of oral medications and without signs of paralytic ileus were converted to oral CR oxycodone, given every 12 hours for up to 7 days.

The effect of systemic zonisamide (Zonegran) on thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in rats with an experimental mononeuropathy.

Unlabelled: We studied the ability of zonisamide (Zonegran) to relieve thermal hyperalgesia and/or mechanical allodynia in the chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain. Zonisamide (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg) or saline was administered in a blinded, randomized manner by intraperitoneal injection on postoperative days (PODs) 4, 5, and 6. Paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to heat, paw withdrawal response to von Frey monofilaments, and pain scores based on weight-bearing were tested: before surgery; before and after zonisamide or saline (PODs 4, 5, and 6); and on POD 9.